We’re delighted to feature Bernie Hollywood OBE, adventurer, philanthropist, charity leader and Trustee of Made Impact, in this edition of ImpactExpert QT.
Bernie has rowed solo across the Atlantic, helped deliver the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, built schools in Kenya and raised millions for charitable causes. Yet throughout our conversation, he keeps coming back to the same lesson: some of the most important things he’s ever done started with a conversation.
Whether asking for an opportunity before it existed, listening to communities before building solutions, or helping families talk more openly about mental health, Bernie’s story is ultimately one about people.
Today, as Trustee of Made Impact, he continues to champion initiatives designed to connect young people, communities and cultures through shared understanding and opportunity.
Key Takeaways:
- Ask the question: some opportunities only exist because you’re willing to create them.
- Integrity matters most when things get difficult: honesty builds trust, even in the toughest conversations.
- Listen before you lead: the best solutions start with understanding what people actually need.
- Even in the toughest storms, there is still hope: resilience comes from refusing to stop moving forward.
- Put yourself in other people’s shoes: relationships are built through understanding, not selling.
- Nobody became poor by giving: time remains the most valuable gift we can offer.
- Don’t take your wisdom to the grave with you: share what you’ve learned and help others succeed
What was one of the best roles you’ve ever had and why?
One of the best roles I’ve ever had was becoming Finance Director for the London 2012 Games.
I actually put myself forward before the role had even been advertised. I knew I could make a contribution, so I reached out to the Deputy Chairman and asked to be considered when the opportunity arose. A few weeks later, I was invited for a conversation and eventually offered the role.
For five years, I helped support the Olympic and Paralympic Games from a financial perspective, ensuring teams arriving in London had everything they needed to compete and succeed.
It was five years of incredible joy, hard work and long hours, but I was fortunate to build an outstanding team around me. Together, we achieved something remarkable: becoming the first commercial partner in Olympic and Paralympic history to generate a return on investment.
What’s one decision you’ve made that helped align your work with your own values?
One recent example comes from my work with a charity in central London.
We identified we didn’t have sufficient funding to continue operating three youth hubs. If we carried on as we were, then we would have run out of money within 18 months.
Despite exploring every possible route for funding, we had to make the incredibly difficult decision to close the centres. That meant speaking directly with the families and young people affected, which was one of the hardest conversations we ever had to have.
My values have always centred around openness, honesty and integrity. Rather than hide behind emails or statements, I travelled from North Wales to London and spent the day meeting families face-to-face, answering difficult questions and being transparent about the situation.
While the closures were devastating, we worked with the local councils who have since secured alternative partners to reopen two of the venues.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve done to improve social impact?
One project I’m particularly proud of involved creating a school in Kenya known as “The School Under the Tree”. When we first visited the area, children were being educated beneath a tree in the middle of the savannah, with very few resources and no permanent facilities.
Working alongside the local community and our partners, we built a school designed around Maasai values, with health and wellbeing facilities and sustainable features such as solar power and water systems.
When we first arrived, children were learning beneath a tree. Today, they’re learning in a thriving school built around the needs and values of their own community.
What makes me most proud is that we listened. We worked with the community to understand what they needed and built something around their vision, not ours.
Can you share some key milestones or proudest moments in your career?
One of my proudest moments actually involves my son.
When he was around ten years old, he told me he wanted to use computer science to help save the world and dreamed of one day working for Apple. I decided there was no harm in asking, so I contacted Apple in California. We flew over to Silicon Valley to visit and spend time with Apple, Google, Facebook and Intel, and the experience transformed his thinking about technology and its potential to create positive change.
Today, he’s a computer scientist, company director and innovator whose work is helping protect children online and has also contributed to technology that is saving lives in Africa through improved snakebite response systems.
Another major milestone was receiving an OBE for services to charity after more than 30 years of fundraising and impact work. What stayed with me most was something Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II said during the investiture: the honour wasn’t just recognition for what had been achieved, but an opportunity to amplify my voice and inspire others. I’ve never forgotten that.
What’s one project or piece of work that taught you a big lesson about impact?
Five years ago, one of my sons was struggling significantly with his mental health. During an open conversation, we reflected on whether things might have been different if we’d talked more openly about mental health much earlier in his life.
Together, we decided to create something that could help young people and families have those conversations sooner. That idea became Boat of Hope, a project that combined storytelling and adventure. We created a children’s book called Bernie and Bo for younger audiences and partnered with Marvel Comics to produce a comic for older children and teenagers. The campaign engaged more than 500 schools across the UK and encouraged thousands of children to share what hope meant to them. The book became an Amazon number one bestseller and was later adapted into an animated film voiced by Melanie C from the Spice Girls.
At the same time, I undertook one of the biggest challenges of my life: rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
The journey took over three months and included 17 Atlantic storms, a broken leg and several near-death experiences.
The experience taught me resilience, gratitude and perspective. Even in the darkest moments, there was still hope. It reminded me how fortunate I am for the people in my life and reinforced my commitment to helping others.
What’s one piece of strategic advice you’ve found yourself giving more than once?
Listen.
Listen carefully, listen without interruption and then take time to reflect before responding. Too often, particularly when emotions are involved, we react immediately. I encourage people to take a step back, reflect for 24 hours and consider what they’ve heard.
Early in my banking career, my manager gave me a small pair of gold shoes to wear on my lapel. He told me, “Nobody sells anything in this branch. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes instead.”
This advice has stayed with me for more than 40 years. I never try to sell anything. I focus on understanding how people think, how they feel and what they genuinely need. By doing that, you build trust, create relationships and ultimately achieve far more meaningful outcomes.
Who or what inspires your approach to creating impact through your career?
Without question, my mother. She was the greatest giver of time and resource I’ve ever known. We weren’t wealthy financially, but we were incredibly rich in love, compassion and generosity.
Shortly before she passed away, she said something that has guided me ever since:
“Nobody ever became poor by giving.”
At the time, I didn’t fully understand what she meant. Today, I do.
The more time, energy and resources I’ve given to others, the more fulfilment, joy and purpose I’ve received in return. The most incredible resource you can give anybody is time. We all get the same amount of it, but it’s what you choose to do with that time that really matters.
What’s the thing that brings you the most work joy?
Seeing somebody smile.
For me, happiness is one of the most important things in life. Happiness is the key to life and longevity. If you can put a smile on somebody’s face, you’ve made a positive difference to their day.
There will always be challenges and difficulties in life, but there is also an incredible amount of goodness. If I can contribute to that goodness by putting a smile on somebody’s face, that brings me enormous joy.
What is your favourite quote you would like us to include, and why?
“Wisdom is the recipe for success.”
If you possess wisdom, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with colleagues, competitors, charities, businesses and anyone who can benefit from it.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen organisations achieve far more through collaboration than competition. I’ve worked with charities competing for the same funding, yet when we combined our strengths and submitted a joint proposal, we secured opportunities that neither organisation would have won alone.
Don’t take your wisdom to the grave with you because it can’t be activated when you’re not here. Pass on what you’ve learned, help others avoid mistakes and support the next generation.
If somebody gains value from your experience, that’s one of the greatest gifts you can ever receive.
